"Secretary of State John Kerry attested Tuesday to the massively complex challenges Washington faces in Ukraine, Russia, Iran and the Middle East, declaring ‘it was easier’ during the Cold War.

"In a candid moment during a State Department speech, the top US diplomat
said changing global power dynamics made a quaint memory of the early East-West
stalemate, when American children would ‘crouch under our desks at school and
practice’ safety steps for a possible nuclear attack.

“’During the Cold War… it was easier than it is today – simpler is maybe a way to put it,’ Kerry told aid and development experts.

“’The choices were less varied, less complicated, more stark, more clear: Communism, democracy, West, East, the Iron Curtain.’”

Yes, those were the Good Old Days – when children in the schoolroom cowered beneath their desks – and we almost went to war with the nuclear-armed Soviet
Union over missiles in Cuba which posed no more threat than missiles outside
Moscow. Does "quaint" even begin to describe that vintage scene? It’s
all so Currier
& Ives.

We were the Good Guys and the Russkies were the Bad Guys – and never the morally equivalent twain shall meet! If only we could get back to those halcyon days, everything would be "simpler," says Kerry.

Having an implacable enemy of unrivaled evil supposedly bent on our destruction has its advantages – yes, a US Secretary of State actually does seem to believe this. Having nuclear-armed enemies is a Good Thing – because it makes the job of US officials so much easier. Should we support a South American dictator who murders his own people for looking at him cross-eyed – but of course we should, because he hates the Russkies! Do we really need to build more nuclear weapons than it would take to incinerate the world one-hundred times over? The answer – back then – was an obvious yes, at least to our wise rulers (who never considered how dangerous our arsenal would become once it started to age….). And how about getting involved in a war in Southeast Asia that would take tens of thousands of American lives – and easily a million non-Americans – a war this same John Kerry would refer to with unmitigated contempt as he threw his war medals right back at the Pentagon?

"In the post-war 1950s and 1960s, Kerry said, ‘we could make really bad decisions and still win, because we were pretty much the sole dominant economic and military power around. It’s not true any more.’”

Poor Kerry: he must’ve been suffering from jet lag during that little convocation, because back in the cold war era there were two big powers, not one: he seems to have forgotten about the Soviet Union. But no matter: that’s just a not-so-minor detail, the kind that makes all the difference in the world.

Because without the Soviets contesting us in every region on earth our poor,
overworked, and completely clueless public servants are confronted with hard
decisions on a daily basis, such as: which country do we invade next? And more
importantly: how do we spin our regime changing campaign to make it look defensive
rather than the unambiguous act of aggression it appears to be?

Decisions, decisions!

Kerry’s little moment of candid conversation gives us a clue as to why our
foreign policy has suddenly reverted back to its cold war incarnation, and why
we’re taking a sudden interest in such previously arcane subjects as the proper
status of Transnistria, the legitimacy of South Ossetia’s desire for autonomy,
and where Crimea belongs in the vast scheme of things. Now that Al Qaeda’s stock
has dropped considerably – and some of their folks have magically morphed into
our allies – the search for an appropriately powerful and sinister enemy has
settled on our old adversary, Russia.

Some have asked: Is it really in our interest to bring back the cold war and gin up a confrontation with Putin over territory that has been an integral part of Russia since the days of Catherine the Great? Why revive this ancient conflict?

Kerry’s answer to these critics ought to be clear enough: it makes things easier
for US officials, especially those who have ascended to positions way out of
their depth. They don’t have to agonize over any hard moral choices: say, whether
to align ourselves with open neo-Nazis in Ukraine or ridiculously despotic rulers
like the megalomaniac "President" of Kazakhstan. The nature of the
conflict makes those choices for us. All simpletons like Kerry have to do is
set US policy on autopilot, and the "narrative" – Us vs. Them, Good
vs. Evil, Amurrica vs. Those Heathens – does the rest.

When in the name of all that’s holy are we going to start treating Russia like a normal country again? Here it is almost three decades since the end of the cold war and we’re still acting as if commie missiles targeting New York and Washington are on hair-trigger alert to launch. We fought a world war against Germany and its allies, occupied their country, and seriously considered reducing it to an agricultural backwater that would never again rise to global prominence – and yet here we are collaborating with them in NATO and even joining with them to provoke regime change in Ukraine. Why the double standard?

The frightening and indubitably true answer is: because its makes matters simpler
for clueless gaffe-prone buffoons like John Kerry.

NOTES IN THE MARGIN

You can check out my Twitter feed by going here.
But please note that my tweets are sometimes deliberately provocative, often
made in jest, and largely consist of me thinking out loud.

It was much easier back in the Cold War days for the US to do things like sell missiles to the Iranian "regime" of Ayatollah Khomeini, both directly and via the Israeli government as a 'middle-man', as a way to fund the "Contras" in Nicaragua in their fight for "freedom" against the 'democratically-elected' incumbent Sandinista government.

Instead of simply lying to the American people by omission, these days you need to initially publicly announce these activities as 'non-lethal' "aid" and go through the GCC and/or NATO instead of Israel exclusively…all the while playing a long game of "escalation" narratives…

Also, with the advent of Youtube and Liveleak, it's harder to explain to 'people' how mercenary terrorists and cannibals are "moderate"…but there are always work arounds…so Kerry shouldn't get too upset…

The way I read it, it actually sounds like an admission that the old: Russia bad – America good caricatured picture of the world is inadequate. Which is in stark contrast to what the neocons are trying to sell, namely that exact defunct world view. Maybe it's even a veiled criticism of his masters "no it's not that simple anymore." Of course if they wanted "easy" then they should just listen to the American people and stay out. But nooo. If the people of some country exert some sovereignty and choose a path in conflict with what the masters of the universe have decided for them, then we've got to send in the troops. Make them see the "right path" at drone point if necessary.

Some days ago a commentator wrote that Raimondo knows nothing about what it's going on in Russia and he (Raimondo) have to listen what Kasparov,the former world chess champion has to say about Putin.But the freedom of Kasparov to say all what he wants and be the head of an organized protest shows only that Russia of Putin is a free country and everyone have to remind what happened to an other bigger world chess champion Bobby Fischer when he spoke what he thought about US and Israel and that while any organization and other people stayed with him.He became the public enemy in US and after he made a new crime,namely he played chess in Belgrad while Clinton bombed the town 74 days,he lost his citizenship,arrived in Tokyo but the authorities there incited by US State Department forced Fischer to run like a hounded beast and found shelter only in Island ,the only country which dare to help the genial player.

"‘it was easier’ during the Cold War."—""Secretary of State John Kerry attested Tuesday…"
Sounds kind of like georgewbush complaining that his job would be a lot easier if this was a dictatorship, doesn't it?

Justin, I'm afraid I must reprimand you for the headline of this column. It is a gross insult to buffoons, clueless or otherwise. Expect a nasty e-mail from the lawyers representing the Buffoon Anti-Defamation League.

kerry a buffoon? perhaps. that said, when i hear john kerry the first thing that comes to mind is "serial liar" and "skull and bones". to my mind he and his ziocon brethren are stupid like evil foxes in a hen house. i think by easier he meant, it used to be much simpler to get away with all our bullsh*t, balderdash and outright distortions of reality and truth." he's so dumb he took a dive in '04 for the good of america i.e. so the ziocons could continue their evil.

ah yes "crazy" bobby fischer. by all accounts a genius. he declares 9-11 an inside job for israel and this is his end. his awful crime of telling the truth made him a renegade lunatic who needed to be jailed. pretty much says it all about what's going on in the world.

What was the so-called "Cold War", other than a guise for old fashioned imperialism?

Yes, it is much more difficult to make any other nation in the world look muscular enough to take on the U.S. militarily. Washington's comparative advantage militarily is as great as it has ever been. Hence, the reason why Kerry laments the difficulty in convincing the average American that Washington's current Ukraine policy has anything to do with "national security". It's a safe bet most Americans would need more than one guess to figure out where Ukraine is on a map, much less why they should feel "threatened" by Russian policy towards Ukraine. So there is a logic to what Kerry is saying, much in the same way there is a logic in militarily surrounding Russia and China.

The John Kerry's of the world might very well have their wishes fulfilled. What other choice do Russia and China have but to get more muscular militarily, and, hence, significantly increase their military budgets, in the face of an imperial power in Washington that only understands the language of military violence?

The only reason there is a Ukraine is because once upon a time there were a mess o' peasants who were ruled by Poles and a new Slavic patois came out of it…'Eastern Ukraine' was simply Russian land and industry assigned to the rump creation of the German General Staff during World War I so that they could scarf up coal as well as foodstuffs from conquered areas of Russia to better wage war on the Western Front.

Ketchup Boy would have been president in a fair election when he ran against his Skull and Bones lodge brother…we had eight whole years of rule by Chimp…Americans consistently vote for people who don't have their interests at heart. "You can't fix 'stupid,'" Ron White said and it is so true…

So, if Americans read the pronouncements of these horrifying individuals (senior 'statesman', Bob Dole, thinks we should send the Ukrainians tanks) with disdain today…we should remember who 'empowered' them.

I read, but can't confirm, that a Russian fighter was able to disrupt the Aegis air defense system on our destroyer in the Black Sea. If this has any basis in fact, every US carrier afloat is simply a new reef waiting to happen and there is no military power that the empty suits in New York and Washington can project in the region other then the same cowardly terrorism that they are projecting in Syria and Iran (or, of course, the "unthinkable"). Is the Donbas worth a war? Is all of Ukraine worth a war? No.

But, among Obama's first backers were the good Zio-Nutsis at General Dynamics. His military spending proposals are outrageous. We still have the hundreds of bases and entangling alliances that Ron Paul bemoaned (and, Ron Paul has still not furthered Libertarianism's appeal by molding it's ideals of individual freedom and small government to the stark realities of modern times). Both the New York Times and Insane McCain are on the same page with the Butcher of Benghazi and the various Demopublican rodentia of House and Senate. The price of food is far outpacing the lies that pass for our inflation figures. GD, Boeing and Mc-Douglas don't build roads and infrastructure…they don't farm organically…they don't provide clean water or cure disease…Hell, they even outsource defense spending….Piss Ants like Senator Reid are busy trying to steal land…Washington and New York have become little more than crazy uncles in the attic or rabid maniacs who need to be put down hard by communities and states all over the United States for the sake of peace, prosperity and our very existence. You won't accomplish that by voting for Demopublicans.

What's fascinating is that Captain Swift Boat now seems to have forgotten about Vietnam. Of course, I suppose that was a whole lot easier too when you're rich.

He's become another one of those politicians where one gets tired of trying to figure out which part of him was fake and phony, and instead its just easier to figure he's been lying often along the way so its not worth listening to him any more

What's fascinating is that now the US doesn't even seem to feel the need to provide evidence for its lies. The US SOS has been noting but a mouthpiece for sometimes, because the role of diplomacy and true negotiation has been eliminated in the modern US, I suppose there's not much else for them to do.

But its striking the way they don't even pretend to have evidence any more. They just stand up and tell blatant lies, and figure they'll bully all the other governments into following along. They just seem to think its whichever monkey screeches the loudest wins. Even under the deceitful Colin Powell, he at least pretended to care about making up some evidence to fool us with. Now they don't even bother. And that's not a good sign.

It belongs in Russia where its been since before George Washington was President. If George Washington didn't object to the Crimea being a part of Russia, I don't see why we are changing our minds about it now..

If John Kerry reads this, we'll soon see a forged George Washington letter announcing his outrage that Catherine the Great had annexed the Crimea. They'll claim they know its authentic because they captured George Washington's laptop during a raid on the terrorists that were rebelling against King George III.

"In the post-war 1950s and 1960s, Kerry said, ‘we could make really bad decisions and still win, because we were pretty much the sole dominant economic and military power around. It’s not true any more.’”
Contrary to Justin's take on this statement, it is my opinion that in making it, Kerry inadvertently came close to revealing the true state of affairs that existed during the 1950s and 60s'. Because, in reality, Russia was never able to feed it's own population much less conduct a world war, never posed a military threat to the US or anyone else for that matter. Which of course means that the Cold War, like the current War On Terror, was never anything other than a hoax-war invented by Washington for the purpose of justifying a huge standing army accompanied by practically unlimited military spending designed to funnel the wealth of this nation into the coffers of defense contractors.

There are black-and-white issues out there; but we are making considerable efforts to keep them smeared and confused. One of the biggest issues is the Israeli genocide of Palestine. It is totally black-and-white. America has no business backing the racist land theft by Israel, but we can't tolerate this clarity. Another issue is the fact that the citizens of Crimea want to belong to Russia, but again this conflicts with our desires so we ignore it. We can't stand the fact that South American countries are finding socialism to be preferable to being raped by Wall Street, but our crony capitalism must be defended at all costs.
Kerry is part of the "purposefully ignorant" elite running this country. I am old enough to remember an old radio show called "It Pays to be Ignorant" . Right now, it does for the Kerrys, Nulands, etc.

Perhaps Kerry is taking part in some sort of competition. Perhaps they had a wager to see who can go for longest without accidentally saying something that is actually true. Or perhaps its about who can make the most absurd statement with a straight face. Either way, Kerry is doing really well, but he is facing stiff competition from Obama, Clinton, Hagel, Biden etc. Who will win? It may take us years to find out.

What we call "Cold War" of today is actually the continuation of a "Hot War" which began when the Lenin government signed the Brest-Litovsk pact and ended with the Molotov-Ribbentrop pact of 1939. It was a "Hot War" during which the German armies remained deep into Russian territory and had even occupied Kiev for a while and had made Ukraine a German dependency.

"…And how about getting involved in a war in Southeast Asia that would take tens of thousands of American lives – and easily a million non-Americans – a war this same John Kerry would refer to with unmitigated contempt as he threw his war medals right back at the Pentagon?…"

Good article from Justin, but…

America's war of aggression against "Southeast Asia" (Viet Nam, Cambodia & Laos…) slaughtered much more than "a million non-Americans": estimates range from 3 to 5 million all up, and that does not count those still dying and suffering ruined lives from Agent Orange and other toxins rained down on the environment by the US military – "the worst chemical warfare campaign in history."

And, can anyone positively confirm that John Kerry really threw his war medals back at the Pentagon? I have heard a contrary idea that they were in fact the medals of another soldier? If so, such deceit on Kerry's part is rather more consistent with his current performance.

Yes, there were two major powers during the immediate post-war era, but the US always had a significant economic and military advantage over the Soviets. This current campaign against the Russians has no more credibility than the "missile gap" propaganda the neocons promoted in the 70s and 80s.

excellent comment and i'd just add that these lies are intentionally bombastic and without credibility on purpose. as we of the rational sit and debunk the latest round of bullsh*t they've heaped upon us, they've already moved on to the next round of fabrications. as absurd as it all sounds, it's a rather clever tactic which the goebbels and co. used in their rise to power in germany.

That "missile gap" mantra goes back to 1960, when JFK used it against Nixon and the GOP. Back then the Democrat Party was the neocon nest, their #1 spokesman being Sen. Scoop Jackson (D-Boeing).

Fast forward to the '80s, when the neocons, having slithered over to the GOP, printed a book titled "SOVIET MILITARY POWER" (in big red letters) annually. I was in the USAF at the time and got to peruse it. The narrative was that the Red Army was an invincible juggernaut that could only be prevented from conquering the world with ever larger defense spending. (This when they were getting their butts kicked in Afghanistan!) The last volume I saw was in 1987, just before leaving the service. Five years later, the "invincible juggernaut" was no more.

" They just stand up and tell blatant lies, and figure they'll bully all the other governments into following along."
This is the default approach across the globe. And include the US Congress in the "other governments" category.
Prime example: the actions of the USTR in the current TPP/TTIP negotiations.
"They" are not "us", nor do they represent us. "They" are not even US anymore.

perhaps it is much simpler than what justin and kerry say. they both, i think, make a complexity out of what clearly is a simplicity: EU/US cannot wage a war against russia or bomb it.
that's all, folks!!!!!
of course, they could bomb or attack militarily iran, but are just a bit too shy right now to do that!

does anyone doubt that russia would invade ukraine if the two traitors to ukraine, yatsenyuk and turchynov [who should be charged with treason on behalf a foreign power] send in troops into e. and s.e. ukraine?
what russia should do right now is that the two putschists must step down forthwith and be replaced with people approved or chosen by all ukrainians.
i just can't see how would law and order in ukraine an dits wholeness restored with these two lunatics in power!!!!!

Of course there is another way to make things simpler; The USA could just abandon its imperial pretenses, cut military spending dramatically, bring the troops home and let America just be a normal country like Ireland, New Zealand, Sweden, etc.

The USSR lost millions of its people to the invading Germans in WWII. That is in addition to the millions that Stalin killed before the war. They were in no position to go toe-to-toe with their wartime ally, the US, right after such massive destruction. I agree with Carroll that it was all lies and propaganda so that US hegemony could be advanced and the wartime MIC could continue to be fed. It was, and is, US hubris on a massive scale. Our so called Greatest Generation set this country on the wrong path when they, not the USSR, started the Cold War.

agree with everything, esp. comments; except "and yet here we are collaborating with them [germany] in NATO and even joining with them to provoke regime change in Ukraine. Why the double standard?" Seriously ??? was nuland speaking german in the original version of the recording ? next thing, someone is going to claim that germans just want to support the Ukrainians because they're neo-nazis. Germany in Europe like Saudi Arabia in the ME are the financial facilitators; the're just told whom and how much to pay. Does anyone seriously think that if they propose anything contrary to israelo-us policy that it has a snowball's chance in hell of getting through?

Justin Raimondo is the editorial director of Antiwar.com, and a senior fellow at the Randolph Bourne Institute. He is a contributing editor at The American Conservative, and writes a monthly column for Chronicles. He is the author of Reclaiming the American Right: The Lost Legacy of the Conservative Movement [Center for Libertarian Studies, 1993; Intercollegiate Studies Institute, 2000], and An Enemy of the State: The Life of Murray N. Rothbard [Prometheus Books, 2000].